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New 35W features opening to relieve congestion

This week, some elements of the huge makeover of I-35W through the Twin Cities, the state's busiest highway, will open to bus riders and drivers even while many portions of the project are still a work in progress.

Beginning Monday morning, there's a new southern suburbs express bus service, and then Wednesday at 6 a.m. 35W drivers coming from the south will have their own MnPass or high-speed commuter lane.

Metro Transit spokesman Bob Gibbons said beginning on Monday morning, commuters from Lakeville can pay $3 one way or $6 round trip for a new bus service from a new park and ride ramp to downtown Minneapolis.

"Trip time will be about half an hour. We'll offer six trips in the morning and six trips home in the afternoon," Gibbons said.

Gibbons said the new $500,000 buses are over-the-road coaches with high backed seats.

The buses will glide along in their own 35W lane usually no slower than 50 mph.

Minnesota Department of Transportation project leader Nick Thompson said the buses will share the fast lane with carpoolers and with individual car drivers willing to pay for the privilege through the 35W MnPass program.

"[If] they need to get somewhere in a hurry, they can pay to use the MnPass lane," Thompson said. "That has been available to car pool and transit since the mid 1980s on 35W, but now for the first time available for solo drivers too."

Installing express bus laneMPR Photo/Dan Olson

Thompson said more than a thousand 35W commuters are already enrolled.

Any time they use the MnPass lane, a transponder attached to their windshield fires off the information to the processing center, a company hired by MnDot to handle billing.

The concept is called congestion pricing.

MnPass users will pay as little as 25 cents per trip when traffic is light or as much as $8 during rush hours when it's heavy. Thompson said prices rise with traffic volumes to keep the MnPass lane users motoring along at a minimum of 50 mph.